1/03/2009

An interesting older article on the Castle Law's enforcement in Texas

'Castle law' arms Texas homeowners with right to shoot Does new law make them quicker to pull the trigger?08:18 AM CST on Sunday, January 20, 2008

By MICHAEL E. YOUNG / The Dallas Morning News myoung@dallasnews.comCertainly the castle law has become a high-profile addition to the Texas statutes since it took effect Sept. 1, but police and the district attorneys association argue that it brought little substantial change.

While it appeared to apply to each of these cases, so did a batch of other laws, along with the tradition of Texas juries giving people every benefit of the doubt when protecting themselves, their families and their property.

None of these property owners was charged. Police referred a few cases to the Dallas County grand jury, which declined to indict. In others, police determined that the shootings were justified. . . .

Dallas police homicide investigators said they've yet to encounter a self-defense situation since the castle law took effect that would have been barred under previous laws.

"There may come a time when that's not the case," said Lt. Craig Miller. "But I would have to look at each of those under its own merits."

Shannon Edmonds, director of governmental relations for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, said he didn't know of a single Texas case in which the castle law would have made a difference.

"The reality is Texas grand juries routinely no-billed deadly force cases under the old law, which was very lenient," he said. "Many of the cases that you read about center on defense of property laws, which were always very, very lenient in the use of deadly force.